In the South, many enslaved people reacted to the Emancipation Proclamation by

The Emancipation Proclamation encouraged enslaved people in areas under Confederate control to seek freedom and undermine the Confederacy. Many responded by slowing or stopping their work, weakening the labor force that supported Confederate farms and armies. Thus, “staging work slowdowns” is the correct choice; joining the Confederate military would have supported the side maintaining slavery.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.